The technical equipment supporting the functioning of the system is the Dragon-M ventilation unit, which was specially designed for vegetable storage. It provides for air intake from the outside, mixes that air to the pre-set temperature with the circulation air from the chamber, and delivers it from under the ceiling of the storage room onto the produce. To decrease the temperature in a storehouse in winter, the cold outside air is used. In this case, the installation of refrigeration equipment is not necessary. If the outside temperature does not provide the needed microclimate parameters in a storage, refrigeration equipment can be mounted into an air-handling unit.

An air-handing unit with an emission valve is mounted into a chamber (storage) on the wall that intakes the air from the outside. When the intake and emission valves close, they abut onto an aluminum frame with a built-in heater by a cold-resistant gasket. A thermally-insulated valve with a Ridder drive (made in Holland) changes the consumption of fresh and recirculated air and allows for precise temperature maintenance.

Warm air from the chamber is removed through the emission valves, which open at the same rate as the intake valves. To control and maintain the set parameters, produce-temperature sensors are used along with humidification sensors in the chamber and outside, chamber-temperature sensors and a carbon-dioxide concentration sensor (CO2). Depending on the volume of produce in a given chamber, 4-12 produce-temperature sensors can be used. They should be placed at various points among the thickness of the produce.

If the air needs heating in the storage, the drying mode is used. If the outside air temperature is extremely low, the system can be fitted with an electric or gas air heater.

Automation

The set storage parameters are maintained with an automatic control system, which was specially designed for vegetable storages.

It provides for the:

• Control of storage modes;
• Control of the refrigeration system;
• Control of the humidification system;
• Control of drying modes;
• Data collection and archiving;
• Monitoring and remote control.

The information can be automatically sent from the storage controller to a profile page or smartphone, where the user can review, organize and archive the relevant data.